Postdoc position in Roman History and Climate Change

Odense M, Denmark

Job Description

The Department of Culture and Language at SDU in collaboration with SDU Climate Cluster is looking for a postdoc with expertise in climate and agricultural modelling. The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 1 year. The starting date is on 1st of October 2026.

Short presentation of the research project
The postdoc position is a part of the externally funded research project Here Comes the Invincible Sun: Toward a Climate History of the Roman Conquest, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. In the project we analyse how changes in climate from the 4th- to 1st-centuriesy BCE in Italy aided Rome-s conquest of the Mediterranean world. The project aims to demonstrate the connections between climate and agriculture and the subsequent shifts in the balance of geopolitical power, providing perspectives on present-day geopolitics.

Job description
The postdoc will develop an agricultural model for Italy and the eastern Mediterranean between the 4^th and 1^st centuries BCE, drawing on synthesis of available paleoclimate proxy data for temperature and precipitation in the region. Because the climate reconstruction is based on proxy records of varying temporal and spatial resolution, a key challenge of the position will be translating this synthesis into parameters suitable for modeling ancient agricultural production. The focus is on assessing changes in growing conditions during Rome-s expansion and whether they differed between Italy and rival regions, with implications for the balance of power in the region.

Requirements

• The successful candidate has a PhD in climate science, geoscience, agricultural studies or other similar fields, preferably with a focus on agricultural or agroecological modelling
• Experience with crop or agricultural modelling frameworks is essential. Familiarity with paleoclimate data or experience adapting models to data-limited contexts would be a significant advantage
• The PhD must be obtained within the last 8 years

The successful candidate will work jointly between History at the Department of Culture and Language and SDU Climate Cluster, an interdisciplinary research collaborative focusing on climate change and the consequence for the human societies ?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sdu.dk%2Fen%2Fforskning%2Fsdu-climate-cluster&module=jobs&id=4345" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sdu.dk%2Fen%2Fforskning%2Fsdu-climate-cluster&module=jobs&id=4345" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.sdu.dk/en/­forskning/­sdu-climate-cluster . The work language is English. If the application is successful, the postdoc candidate will be based at SDU with opportunity of a funded secondment at one of our partner institutions in Europe and Canada.

The postdoc will be supervised jointly by Professor Sebastian Mernild and Professor Jesper Majbom Madsen.

Contact information
For information about the project, please contact Jesper Majbom Madsen at majbomsdu.dk . For further information about the position and employment at the University of Southern Denmark, Vice Head of Department Anne Klara Bom at akbomsdu.dk .

For questions related to CV, diplomas etc., please contact humfak-hr

If you are not a Danish-speaking applicant, please ensure that you use the English website to access the electronic application form to receive further information in English.

Working at University of Southern Denmark
The International Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees, guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. International staff in tenured positions will be offered Danish language training in connection with the employment and are expected to achieve Danish language competences at CEFR B2-level within 5 years from being appointed.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU .

About the department
The Department of Culture and Language has approximately 200 employees, covering a wide range of subjects and research interests, including American Studies, Audiologopaedia, Classical Studies, Communication, Comparative Literature, Culture, Danish, English, German, History, Middle East Studies, Organisational Communication and the Study of Religion. Our faculty is committed to interdisciplinary research and teaching, encouraging students to explore the intersections of language, culture, and society. They are actively involved in various research centres, groups, and networks, contributing to cutting-edge projects and publications.

The Department of Culture and Language is located on the island of Funen at the university’s campus in Odense - the third-largest city in Denmark with 180.000 inhabitants. Odense provides family-friendly living conditions in a historic city with an urban feel where nature and other recreational areas are never far away. The city has excellent connections with public transportation to Aarhus and Copenhagen.

Conditions of employment
The employment as postdoc is temporary. Employment stops automatically by the end of the period. An upgrade of pedagogical qualifications is not part of the position. Thus, employment as postdoc cannot stand alone as a qualification for later employment as associate professor/senior researcher.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations), Cirkulère om overenskomst for Akademikere i staten 2025 (the document only exists in Danish).

Application
Applications should be sent electronically via the link "apply online" and the Faculty expects applicants to read the information " How to apply " before applying.

The application must include:

• A letter stating your specific interest, motivation, and qualifications for the project (400 words).
• Curriculum Vitae with applicant’s e-mail and phone number
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.)
• Complete list of publications indicating the publications attached
• Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment. Please upload a pdf for each publication. If your publications have been co-authored, please briefly describe the extent of the co-authorship or your contribution to the individual joint publication. You can do so by using this form or you can describe the co-authorship in such a way that the committee can assess the extent of your contribution.

Application and all appendices must be in Danish, English or one of the Scandinavian languages. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates. We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per file. In case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files, jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

The assessment process
Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants’ qualifications.

The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

Application deadline
Application deadline 15 April 2026 23.59.

The University is signatory of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). We wish our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

About SDU
SDU was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3,800 employees, and 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, but SDU is present also in Kolding, Sønderborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Job Info

• Job Identification 3738
• Job Category VIP
• Posting Date 03/10/2026, 12:04 PM
• Locations Campusvej 55, Odense M, 5230, DK
• Apply Before 04/15/2026, 11:59 PM
• Job Schedule Full time

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Campusvej 55, Odense M, 5230, DK

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